Real Food Blends Announces 2nd Annual Brian Liebenow Award Recipient to Kick Off Feeding Tube Awareness Week


Kris Erickson, 2020 Brian Liebenow Award Recipient

Kris Erickson with son Bentley and husband Nathan

To me, receiving The Brian Liebenow Award means acknowledging the hard work and advocacy that goes into raising a child with medical complexities. Without Real Food Blends and without Brian Liebenow’s path to tube feeding success, we would never be here. – Kris Erickson

Real Food Blends, makers of 100% real food meals for people with feeding tubes, and the company that started a real food revolution in the medical community, is proud to announce the recipient of its 2nd Annual Brian Liebenow Award, which recognizes an extraordinary member of the feeding tube community each year during Feeding Tube Awareness Week. Feeding Tube Awareness Week is a worldwide event created by the Feeding Tube Awareness Foundation to increase awareness of feeding tubes and enteral feeding.

The 2020 Brian Liebenow Award recipient is Kris Erickson, a nurse, wife, and mom of 8-year-old Bentley. Bentley was born premature, has had a feeding tube since he was an infant, and has faced numerous life-threatening diagnoses. Through all of his health struggles, Kris has been his number one advocate, pushing doctors to find answers for her son’s medical complexities and looking for a better nutrition option when he struggled daily with formula. Kris found Real Food Blends and Bentley thrived on it, allowing Kris and Bentley the freedom to advocate more for families with special needs.

“Kris is beyond deserving of this award. In addition to being a huge supporter of real food for people with feeding tubes after seeing how well her son did with Real Food Blends, she never hesitates to help families who are new to feeding tubes and constantly advocates for more support and resources for families with special needs. Her unending kindness and optimism is a ray of light in the feeding tube community and we’re honored to recognize her with this award,” said Tony Bombacino, Co-Founder & President of Real Food Blends.    

Each year during Feeding Tube Awareness Week, Real Food Blends presents The Brian Liebenow Award to the person who most demonstrates outstanding courage, advocacy, compassion and leadership within the tube feeding community — all with a sense of humor, hope and humility along the way. Each award recipient receives $1,000 and the company also donates $500 to the charity of the winner’s choice in their name. The award recipient’s story will also be featured in a national press release and across the Real Food Blends Facebook community, where they will be honored in front of over 116,000 people.

“Kris is a testament to how far a mother’s love can go. She’s tireless in her fight to get Bentley the care he needs and deserves and has taken that same dedication to helping other families with special needs. Her voice is so needed in the feeding tube community and her kind heart inspires all of us at Real Food Blends,” said Julie Bombacino, Co-Founder & CEO of Real Food Blends.

“To me, winning The Brian Liebenow Award means acknowledging the hard work and advocacy that goes into raising a child with medical complexities. Without Real Food Blends and without Brian Liebenow’s path to tube feeding success, we would never be here; thank you,” said Kris Erickson.

Real Food Blends chose to launch this award during Feeding Tube Awareness Week both in honor of the company’s support of the Feeding Tube Awareness Foundation and as another way to bring attention and awareness to feeding tubes and how they help improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of people every day. More than 400 conditions can lead to a person requiring a feeding tube and whether they are used temporarily or, as in Bentley’s case, long-term, they help improve and save lives.

To learn more about Real Food Blends, which offers six different 100% real food meals for people with feeding tubes that are covered by many insurance plans, and to check out new educational and inspirational content every day during Feeding Tube Awareness Week (2/10/20 – 2/14/20), visit RealFoodBlends.com and Facebook.com/RealFoodBlends.

ABOUT REAL FOOD BLENDS

Real Food Blends makes 100% real food meals for people with feeding tubes. Born from Julie & Tony Bombacino’s love for their own tube-fed son and a belief that we all deserve real food and nutritional variety, the meals are free of corn syrup and preservatives, are shelf-stable and covered by many insurance plans. With millions of meals sold, they are available nationwide through DMEs, medical supply and home infusion companies or direct via RealFoodBlends.com and Amazon.

ABOUT THE BRIAN LIEBENOW AWARD

The Brian Liebenow Award was established by Real Food Blends in 2019 to first honor Brian, himself. Beyond being a huge supporter of real food for people with feeding tubes, and one of the most active supporters of RFB meals, Brian is a wonderful father, husband, friend – and overall example of how to live life with a positive attitude no matter what challenges come your way.

Each year The Brian Liebenow Award is given to the person who most demonstrates outstanding courage, advocacy, compassion and leadership within the tube feeding community — all with a sense of humor, hope and humility along the way. Each award recipient will receive $1,000 and the company will also donate $500 to the charity of the winner’s choice in their name. The award recipient’s story is also featured in a national press release and across the Real Food Blends Facebook Community, where they are honored in front of over 115,000 people.

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